March of Dimes Global Programs - capabilitynet.eu WS1_C... · March of Dimes Statement of Mission...

March of Dimes Global Programs March of Dimes Global Programs March of Dimes Global Programs March of Dimes Global Programs

First Capability Workshop

Trolleholm, Sweden

8 May 2007

What My Presentation Will CoverWhat My Presentation Will CoverWhat My Presentation Will CoverWhat My Presentation Will Cover

• Description of the March of Dimes

• Description of its Global Programs– Initial activities– Current priorities– Network project

Be sincere, be brief, be seated.

- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

March of DimesMarch of DimesMarch of DimesMarch of Dimes

Statement of Mission Statement of Mission Statement of Mission Statement of Mission

The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality


Strategies Strategies Strategies Strategies

• Research• Education• Community interventions• Advocacy


Organizational StructureOrganizational StructureOrganizational StructureOrganizational Structure

• Grassroots organization founded in 1938• Activities supported by 2 million+ volunteers and 1400 staff• 52 Chapters (in 50 states and Puerto Rico)• National Office - White Plains, NY

– Pregnancy and Newborn Health Education Center (www.marchofdimes.com)

– Perinatal Data Center (“Peristats”)• Office of Governmental Affairs - Washington, D.C.• Global Programs (established in December 1998)


---- History of Success 1History of Success 1History of Success 1History of Success 1

• 1950 - Fellowship awarded to James Watson to investigate the structure of DNA

• 1955 - Salk inactivated polio vaccine found to be safe, potent and effective; licensed for use in the U.S.

• 1961 - Development of PKU screening by Robert Guthrie• 1962 - Sabin live polio vaccine licensed for use in the U.S.• 1969 - Founding of the first master’s degree program in

genetic counseling• 1970 - Establishment of a network of genetic services centers

across the U.S.


---- History of Success 2History of Success 2History of Success 2History of Success 2

• 1973-87 - Nine international workshops on human gene mapping laying the foundation for the Human Genome Project

• 1976 - Publication of “Towards Improving the Outcome of Pregnancy” and regionalization of perinatal care in the U.S.

• 1985 - Development of surfactant therapy• 1998- U.S. Birth Defects Prevention Act passed• 1998 - Folic Acid Campaign to lower NTD rates begins• 2003 - National Prematurity Campaign launched

March of Dimes Global Programs

Relationship between Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Percentageof Infant Deaths due to Congenital Anomalies (CA) by Country

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A man with his mouth open will wait a long time before a roast duck flies in.

- Chinese proverb

Global Programs Global Programs Global Programs Global Programs

• Established in 1998

• Guiding Principles– Cost-sharing– Focus– Synergy– Flexibility

Program Emphasis Program Emphasis Program Emphasis Program Emphasis

• Established in 1998• Program budget ~ $300,000 per year• Programs in 23 countries on four continents• Key is small grants emphasizing:

– Product-intensive partnerships– Short-term projects– A focus on projects with a high probability

of success– Robust science and evaluation

Initial ActivitiesInitial ActivitiesInitial ActivitiesInitial Activities

• Increase awareness of the human and economic toll of birth defects and preterm birth worldwide

• Establish partnerships to reduce mortality and disability from birth defects and preterm birth

• Improve the training of health care providers in perinatal health, including medical genetics

• Expand public education and the capacity for community action

Initial ActivitiesInitial ActivitiesInitial ActivitiesInitial Activities

• Support expansion of folic acid fortification of foods worldwide

• Promote the incorporation of rubella vaccine into current global measles control efforts

Program ActivitiesProgram ActivitiesProgram ActivitiesProgram Activities

Perinatal Health Education• Latin America• Russia and Eastern Europe• India• Central Asia• South-east EuropeGenetics Education• SAIDA partnership in South Africa• Partnership in China, Tibet, Egypt• Genetics & Your Practice

dissemination (South Africa, Italy, Tunisia and North Africa)

• European Genetics Foundation

Birth Defects/Perinatal Health Surveillance

• Partnerships in Lebanon, China, TibetFolic Acid Fortification• Folic acid fortification in the AmericasRubella Immunization• WHO/PAHO/UNICEF/CDC/MOD

Partnership for R. ImmunizationWorld Birth Defects Report• Recommendations to reduce mortality and

disability from birth defects worldwide by up to 70% (English and Spanish)

Global Programs 2007 -

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

- John Muir

Current PrioritiesCurrent PrioritiesCurrent PrioritiesCurrent Priorities

• Expand our mission alliances – the village band• Improve extent and quality of data collection

– Data on birth prevalence, mortality, disability and economic costs are essential to getting the attention of policy makers, government and funders

• Emphasize monitoring and evaluation in all activities– Quality assurance– Economic analyses – cost-benefit of intervention– Nothing breeds success like success


• Publish new editions of the Global Report on Birth Defects (update mortality statistics, document the global toll of disability, economic costs etc.)http://www.marchofdimes.com/globalprograms


• Help convince international health agencies that care and prevention of birth defects should be a global public health priority

• What we know about the global toll of preterm birth

Importance of Linking Interventions for Importance of Linking Interventions for Importance of Linking Interventions for Importance of Linking Interventions for Preterm Birth and Birth DefectsPreterm Birth and Birth DefectsPreterm Birth and Birth DefectsPreterm Birth and Birth Defects

• Similar target populations• Similar systems for detection and monitoring• Synergies in program and capacity building

– Professional education– Patient and public awareness– Parent and other lay support groups– Research (fundamental, etiologic and applied)


• Establish a global network dedicated to prevention of birth defects and preterm birth and to the care of those affected– Strengthening care, prevention and research requires

broad-based involvement of all stakeholders and “peer-to-peer” networking of partners

The Networks ProjectThe Networks ProjectThe Networks ProjectThe Networks Project

Building Capacity to Prevent Birth Defects and Preterm Birth in Developing Countries

Project GoalProject GoalProject GoalProject Goal

Demonstrate that the toll of mortality and disability from birth defects and preterm birth in developing countries can be reduced through simple, low-tech interventions

Strategy Strategy Strategy Strategy

Establish networks of excellence in target countries that have the technical capacity to:

• assess the toll of birth defects and preterm birth in their populations, and

• conduct and evaluate rigorous, needs-based pilot projects to reduce this toll

Selection CriteriaSelection CriteriaSelection CriteriaSelection Criteria

Network sites must demonstrate the following technical and political capabilities:

• ability to assess the toll of birth defects and preterm birth in their target populations

• capacity to develop, conduct and evaluate rigorous, needs-based pilot projects to reduce this toll

• ability to engage academic centers, professional organizations, lay support groups and other stakeholders in the public sector

• ability to secure government sign-off on all activities

Project DescriptionProject DescriptionProject DescriptionProject Description

Three-year project conducted in two phases


Phase 1 (Months 1-12)

Objectives:• Establish organizational structure

– International Steering Committee– National Task Forces

• Assess population health needs– Conduct population needs assessments

• Develop pilot projects to address these needs– The projects may be regional, national or local in focus


Phase 2 (Months 13-36)

Objectives:• Implement pilot projects (Months 13-14)• Evaluate pilot projects

– Mid-term evaluation in Month 24; adjust projects as needed– Final evaluation in Month 35

• Promote inter-network communication– Support partner-to-partner consultation– convene national partners to share best practices, successes

and other knowledge and experiences gained• Ensure network sustainability

– Actively seek and recruit new partners– Work with partners in Year 3 to identify next steps and

funding possibilities for these

Project HallmarksProject HallmarksProject HallmarksProject Hallmarks

• Evidence-based decision making• Consistency in study methods• Building upon existing capacity and political will• Empowering the public as a change agent• Flexibility and adaptability to local needs and conditions• Site-to-site interaction

Possible Target SitesPossible Target SitesPossible Target SitesPossible Target Sites

• MOD-funded sites– India– China– South Africa– Lebanon– Egypt– Tunisia

• Additional sites– Oman, Czech Republic, Hong Kong

Project Benefits Project Benefits Project Benefits Project Benefits

The project will:• encourage intersectoral communication and collaboration within

national networks• develop national platforms that can readily incorporate future

projects, including intervention and research• create an international network of partners that emphasizes peer-

to-peer (“south-to-south”) consultation on program development and evaluation

• provide robust, visible opportunities for high-quality professionals to work, publish and present at international symposia

• develop national capacity in the prevention of birth defects andpreterm birth that can be exported to other countries in the region


Global ProgramsGlobal ProgramsGlobal ProgramsGlobal Programs

• Vice-President for Global ProgramsChristopher P. Howson, PhD

• Director of Global Perinatal Health ProgramsMary-Elizabeth Reeve, PhD

• Research and Administrative AssistantRachel Diamond

[email protected]

http://www.marchofdimes.com/globalprograms

Tel. +1 914 997 4773

Thank you!

March of Dimes Global Programs - capabilitynet.eu WS1_C... · March of Dimes Statement of Mission...

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